


The Itsy Bitsy Spider

by afteriwake



Category: Sherlock (TV)
Genre: Angry Sherlock Holmes, Arachnophobia, Brooding, Case Solved, Escaped animals, Established Sherlock Holmes/Molly Hooper, Gen, Hesitant Molly Hooper, Hurt/Comfort, Mrs. Hudson Explains, POV Sherlock Holmes, Phone Calls & Telephones, Satisfied Molly Hooper, Satisfied Sherlock Holmes, Scared Molly Hooper, Sherlock Being Considerate, Sherlock Broods, Sherlock Holmes and Experiments, Spiders, Tea
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2018-09-08
Updated: 2018-09-17
Packaged: 2019-07-08 14:03:49
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 2
Words: 1,571
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/15931949
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/afteriwake/pseuds/afteriwake
Summary: Sherlock decides to focus on biology for a bit and acquires a rare and poisonous spider to study...unaware that his live-in girlfriend Molly has severe arachnophobia. They come to an agreement about the spider residing in the basement flat, and all is well until Sherlock walks into Baker Street to the screams of Molly and the whacking of a broom.The itsy bitsy poisonous spider is out of its enclosure.





	1. Chapter 1

**Author's Note:**

  * For [Dreamin](https://archiveofourown.org/users/Dreamin/gifts).



> So this is another fic from the fic title meme! The title was given to me by **Dreamin** and I'm giving it to her as a gift. It was supposed to be a little on the fluffy side but...I don't think it treally is? But there will be a tiny bit of humor in chapter two, I promise.

In late 2013 there had been a story in the news of a family in London who had to vacate their home so that it could be fumigated. The story itself was shocking but of little regard to Sherlock until his brother mentioned offhandedly that importing regulations on bananas would have to be increased. Normally his brother’s twaddle meant nothing, but when one was talking about either _Phoneutria fera_ or _P. nigriventer_...well then, his interest was piqued.

Salivation. Irregular heartbeat. Painful, prolonged erections. Those were but few of what the deadly spider’s venom could do. Brazilian Wandering Spiders, as they were more commonly known, were considered to be the deadliest of the deadly amongst spiders, at least in regards to humans.

And he, Sherlock Holmes, had acquired one for study.

Not for any real malicious purposes, though he supposed there could be enough enemies at play still to warrant a supply of spider venom. But no, he had been asked to help with a study to help erectile dysfunction by synthesizing the venom and while it was fairly easy to do, at least for him, he had asked for a spider to study in home and had gotten one. The basement portion of the flat had been outfitted with a lab and the only requirement was he collect venom by milking the spider on a fairly regular basis and then send said venom to the lab.

Easy enough. He could do some of his own careful experiments from the excess.

It had been a worthwhile endeavour. The spider, which he had morbidly nicknamed Jim, would get into a defensive position where he would raise his legs straight into the air. Or she...he was not a genius when it came to the biology of spiders and he had failed to ask for the sex of said spider when it was put into his care.

There had only been one hiccup in the entire process: of all the things he had deduced about Molly, the person dearest to him in all the world, the one thing he had never realized was she had severe arachnophobia. It stemmed from a childhood incident where her brother let loose his pet tarantula on her bed one night and...well, she had never finished the story but he got a good idea of what had transpired. She had been firm that _if_ he was to have a spider at Baker Street it _had_ to stay in the basement flat and the flat _had_ to be locked so there was no chance of its escape. Those were solid rules and, as he cared about Molly’s health and well-being, he decided it was best to abide by them.

So it was quite an astonishing surprise to come back after delivering a parcel of venom to the laboratory to hear the screams of Molly from the sitting room and the solid _thwack-thwack-thwack_ of a broom hitting furniture. He didn’t bother to glance at the basement flat door, already knowing he had locked it behind him and this was someone else’s doing, and vaulted up the stairs.

“SHERLOCK!” Molly screamed, or perhaps screeched, her face nearly chalk white and her eyes wide with fear. Jim was within near reach of her broom, his front legs up in the aggressive defensive position.

“Let me handle this,” Sherlock said, slowly going to Molly and extracting the broom from her tight grip. He then picked her up and moved her away from Jim, and then looked at the room to determine what to use to catch the spider. Eventually, he settled on a small bowl and a piece of cardboard to slip underneath. It worked well enough and he whisked the spider away and placed it back in its intended domicile before looking at the lock. Not jimmied; someone had a key. 

Strange.

He went back up to Molly, who was in his chair, her knees pulled to her chest and her breathing hard. He coaxed her to give him space on the arm of the chair and rubbed her back while alternating kisses to the top of her head. “I’ll find out who let it out,” he said soothingly. “But I’ll call the laboratory and have them take Jim back post haste. No more biology experiments involving spiders will be done on the premises again.”

She nodded and then leaned into him and he wrapped an arm around her as best he could. Whoever had done this to terrify Molly would pay, and pay dearly, of this he was sure.


	2. Chapter 2

He was still brooding on the situation a week later when Mrs. Hudson brought in a tray of tea. “Is it a case troubling you, dear?” she asked, setting the tray down and beginning to make him a cuppa.

“No,” he said, and then frowned and paused. “Not really, though I suppose it could be one if it gets that far.”

“If what does?” she asked.

“How Jim got out.”

“Jim...” Mrs. Hudson said, nearly humming the last vowel of the name until her eyes widened. “Oh! You mean your spider?”

“Yes,” he said, finally turning to look at her. “It got out of its enclosure and gave Molly a near panic attack.”

Mrs. Hudson’s eyes got wider if that was at all possible, and her hold on the teapot was a bit looser. The lid clacked against the pot as her hand trembled. A curious reaction. “Mrs. Hudson…?”

“I didn’t realize...she knew but she must have forgotten. Memory lapses, oh, I need to make it up to Molly, it must have been _such_ a fright...” she said, rambling as she set the pot on the table and turned to head towards Sherlock’s bedroom.

Sherlock was up and out of his chair, moving faster than her and planting herself squarely in her path. “Do you know something about how Jim got out of his enclosure?” he asked, trying hard to keep his voice even. He was angry, and surprised, and so many other jumbled emotions, but he cared for Mrs. Hudson and if she was somehow at fault he should allow her to explain...hopefully to his satisfaction.

“I asked Mrs. Turner to do some light housekeeping while I was off seeing my son,” she said, turning away from him and wringing her hands. “I gave her keys and I told her not to enter the basement flat. And dear me, she had such a fright herself...I don’t know how he got out of the enclosure but Mrs. Turner must have forgotten and gone into your lab...I am so sorry, Sherlock. Will Molly forgive me?”

“I think she will,” he said, relaxing and placing a comforting hand on Mrs. Hudson’s shoulder. It hadn’t been malicious at all, it seemed. “We had the home fumigated, just to be on the safe side, after Jim was removed from the premises. Poisonous spiders, you understand. Perhaps you might want to recommend to Mrs. Turner she does likewise, just to be on the safe side?”

Mrs. Hudson nodded as she turned back to him. “Yes, of course. And I’ll make it up to Molly, Is wear. Let me phone her. Mrs. Turner, I mean. I have the feeling you’ll be on the phone with Molly shortly.”

“Yes, Molly does deserve to know the truth,” he said, squeezing her shoulder and letting go. Mrs. Hudson abandoned the tea and went to her part of Baker Street, and Sherlock finished preparing the tea, making a mental note to call his brother after he spoke to Molly to make _sure_ Mrs. Turner’s flat was fumigated. Once his tea was ready he took it back to his chair and then went for his mobile, dialing Molly’s number from memory, hoping she was available to talk.

“Hello, Sherlock,” Molly said. “Do you need to change our plans for lunch?”

“No, but I thought I would tell you I have found out how Jim got out.”

There was a slight pause. “Oh?” Molly asked.

“It seems we had an incompetent housekeeper who was told to avoid the basement flat but didn’t remember those instructions,” he said. “While Mrs. Hudson was gone she asked Mrs. Turner to tidy up. I have no idea how Jim got out of the enclosure but that explains how he got out of the lab.”

“And Mrs. Turner does have such a spotty memory,” Molly said, and he could hear the relief in her voice. “Well, since...Jim...is gone, we shouldn’t have the problem again.”

“No, we shouldn’t,” Sherlock said. “And nothing like Jim will be back on the premises again so long as you live here.”

“Good,” she replied. “You’re still coming to Barts to pick me up for lunch?”

“Yes,” he said. “I still have much to make up for.”

Molly laughed softly. “I think you’ve made up for this incident well enough.”

“Then I just want to enjoy your sparkling wit and beautiful company.”

She laughed a bit more heartily this time. “Charmer. I’ll see you at half past noon, then. I love you.”

“I love you too,” he said before hanging up and going to his tea. Not quite the dastardly plot after all, he realized, and to be quite frank he was glad for it. Perhaps it was truly time to have a spider on the loose be the worst thing to happen to them in a month...


End file.
